Experts Say These Color-Sorting Ball Toys Are So Good For Kids' Development

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When looking to buy gifts for 1-year-olds, there are lots of reasons to look for toys that alight with a Montessori philosophy. "Montessori materials for 1-year-olds often support fine motor and gross motor skills, sensory exploration, object permanence, and spacial awareness as well as concentration and independence," says Alanna Gallo, former teacher and founder of Play. Learn. Thrive. But what exactly is meant by "Montessori toy" can cause confusion, especially if you don't know what to look for.

What is a Montessori toy?

Actually, Gallo says, there's no such thing as a "Montessori toy," only toys that are aligned with or inspired by by the Montessori philosophy. These toys often have similar traits. "A toy that has been inspired by the Montessori philosophy is going to be designed to isolate or emphasize a single learning concept," Gallo says. "It will often be beautifully made of natural materials. It should be self-correcting — think a shape sorter or puzzle — so the child can easily recognize their mistakes. It will promote self-directed play and learning. Anything that is designed to simply entertain a child — lights up, talks, sings, etc. — is not aligned with the Montessori philosophy."

What are the best Montessori-Inspired toys for 1-year-olds?

With all that in mind, these are our favorites.

Our top picks for Montessori-inspired toys for 1-year-olds:

• Fat Brain Toys Geometry Puzzle, $6 on amazon.com

• Adena Montessori Coin Box, $16 on amazon.com

• Elite Montessori Color Sorting and Stacking Toy, $18 on amazon.com

• Ulanik Balls in Cups Toy, $30 on amazon.com

• Adena Montessori 6-in-1 Play Kit, $37 on amazon.com

There are a couple of things to look out for when searching for Montessori-aligned toys. The first is the expense, which can be great, often due to the quality of the materials used in making them. But if you're looking for bargains, this isn't the place. And the other, Gallo warns, is about companies that throw around the Montessori name recklessly as a marketing tactic. "The biggest issue is that most toys claiming to be Montessori do not align with the Montessori philosophy," she says. "Children would benefit more from a parent adopting a Montessori approach to parenting, versus buying 'Montessori” toys.'" But if you're looking for a place to start, consult our favorites from this list.

Looking for more great gifts for kids? Check out these Good Housekeeping guides:

The Best Montessori Toys for 2-Year-Olds | The Best Toys for Infants | The Best Toys for Toddlers

Geometry Puzzle

Puzzles help kids develop all sorts of skills: They promote spatial awareness, help with shape recognition and encourage problem-solving. This simple, wooden puzzle also has knobs on the pieces to make them easier for little hands to grasp. Ages 1+

Counting Stacker

Kids work on their fine-motor coordination when they get these colorful, hexagonal pieces onto the proper pegs. They practice color sorting and counting, too, by learning that the one red block fits on the first peg, the two yellow blocks fit on the second and so on. Ages 1+

Safari Zig-Zag Tower

Being able to track moving objects with the eyes is an important Montessori skill, and it helps with hand-eye coordination, reading and writing later on. This Montessori-inspired toy lets kids insert the wooden animal pieces into the top and watch as they roll down the zig-zagging path, allowing them to try out their tracking skills. Ages 1+

Coin Box

Object permanence is another Montessori focus. If you put the tokens into this box, will they sill be there when you open the drawer? This one comes with six colorful coins and also a ball, and both a slot and a hole in the top of the box for kids to drop them in, which also helps their fine motor coordination. Ages 6 months+

Color Sorting and Stacking Toy

Kids will use different grasps when they pick up the discs in this toy and put them on the correct color pegs, which helps strengthen the muscles in their hands and helps their fine-motor coordination. They'll also practice their color recognition, starting with the three primary colors. Ages 8 months+

Discs on Horizontal Dowel

Once they've mastered stacking things vertically, they can move on to threading discs on a dowel horizontally, which presents more of a hand-eye challenge. It also encourages kids to get their hands to cross the "midline" — or the vertical line in the center of the body — which helps with things like writing and dressing later on. Ages 8 months+

4-in-1 Sorting Toy

Like other peg toys on this list, kids can use the four dowels here to sort the pieces by color or stack them by size. But this one also comes with a surprise: Two of the dowels have extra twists to them — the green one requires the pieces to be twisted in a certain direction or get snagged on small pegs, and the purple works more like s screw — that makes this more of a challenge. The base is also a simple jigsaw puzzle. Ages 1+

Balls in Cups Toy

Toddlers need focus, concentration and perseverance in order to take the spoon, pick up a colored ball and deliver it to the correct cup. And hey, if it helps them get better at self-feeding, too, that's a bonus! Ages 1+

Wooden Musical Xylophone

Percussion instruments, like maracas and shakers, are great for toddlers. This wooden xylophone goes even further, and lets kids experiment with the different notes of the five-bar scale by hitting it with a wooden mallet. Ages 1+

Wooden Discovery Blocks

Even if they're not ready for full-blown instruments, they can still experiment with different sounds in an open-ended way with these blocks. Each one makes a different acoustic sound, including squeaks, clacks and rattles. And toddlers can also stack the blocks and build with them like a construction toy. Ages 1+

6-in-1 Play Kit

With this toy, you get three different-sized boxes and a variety of tops to swap on to use in a multitude of different Montessori activities. They can stack the boxes. They can use it as a "ball drop" toy. They can put on the slotted lid and make it a coin bank. They can put on a lid with holes and plant and harvest the wooden carrots. There's also a color sorter and a tissue-box activity, too. Basically, sit a toddler in front of this and see where it takes them! Ages 6 months+

Push Along Musical Roller

Pushing this toy along will get little walkers up and moving and working on their gross motor skills. Inside, there are a couple of rolling balls along with a bell that makes a musical sound. Ages 1+

Favorite Animals Sorting Box

This Montessori-inspired toy comes with six animal blocks, and toddlers will have to use their skills to match them to the correct spaces either at the puzzle on top or the shape-sorter around the side. There's a color-matching element to the game, too. Ages 1+

Block and Roll Cart

This toy is a two-for-one: First, you get a push walker that encourages kids to get all their steps in. But since any good transport needs cargo, there's also a block set that kids can load and unload — it's a puzzle to fit them all in — or use to build with when they don't feel like walking anymore. Ages 1+

Tap and Go Spiral Activity Tower

This toy is on a roll! With this Montessori-inspired toy, kids bop the balls from the tower down onto the ramp with a hammer and watch them roll around and around on the ramp and into a hidden box at the bottom — which is good for eye-tracking and object permanence. Then, kids can use the same hammer to bop the see-saw on the bottom to make the balls roll out again. Ages 13 months+

Scoot Around Ride-On Wood Bike

Kids can work on their strength, balance and coordination with this wooden balance bike, It has rubberized wheels for better control (and to protect your floors, since it also can be used indoors). Ages 1+

Wobble Board

This open-ended arc can be used in a variety of ways. Kids can flip it like a "U" and try to balance on it, or they can turn it upright and use it like a play tunnel. They can sit in it and read while rocking like in a rocking chair. No matter how they use it, they'll probably be working their muscles as they do! No age recommendation given

Play Kits

If you want someone else to do all the toy-selecting work for you, you can subscribe to Lovevery's Play Kits. Each one comes with Montessori- and Waldorf-inspired toys tailored to a child's developmental age and stage, and they also come with information for adults about what's going on in their brains at that time and how to play with kids in a developmentally appropriate way. The "Babbler" Play Kit here is specifically meant for kids ages 13 months to 15 months, but they can continue up to 4 years. Ages 13 months to 15 months

The Play Box

You can subscribe to Lalo's Play Box or get one as a one-time purchase, depending on what your needs are. Either way, it'll be filled with Montessori-inspired toys tailored to their developmental stage, like this one for 13- to 15-month-olds. There's even a program where you can donate your old boxes once the kids have outgrown them. Ages 13 months to 15 months

Learn 'N Climb Triangle Combo

Pikler triangles are loved by Montessori fans because they develop gross motor skills, are open-ended so can be used in imaginary play, and improve spatial awareness, balance and coordination. The toy experts at the Good Housekeeping Institute were so impressed with this one they gave it a Good Housekeeping Parenting Award — they liked how sturdy it was, and also how it can be combined with other triangles or accessories (like the slide). No age recommendation given

RELATED: The Best Pikler Triangles

Why trust Good Housekeeping?

For decades, the Good Housekeeping Institute has provided expert reviews and advice on everything parents and children love, including STEM toys, educational toys, sensory toys, board games and outdoor toys.

While not all of the selects on this list have been specifically vetted by our GH Institute experts, Marisa LaScala, Good Housekeeping's senior parenting and relationships editor, has sought out well reviewed items from trusted brands. Marisa has covered all aspects of the world of parenting, from the postpartum years through the empty nests, since 2015, and she's been working on with Good Housekeeping's toy coverage since 2018. She lives in New York City with her husband and daughter, who are both avid toy collectors.

Shop more toys and gifts for kids

Looking for more great gifts for kids? Let the experts do all the hard work for you!

• Top-tested items: See what toys, gifts and books ranked the very highest in our Lab tests with our Good Housekeeping Best Toy Awards, our Good Housekeeping Best Kids’ Book Awards and our Good Housekeeping Parenting Awards.

• Tech for kids: Our lab experts are often asked for recommendations for digital devices for kids, and we've tested kids' phones, kids' smartwatches, kids' tablets and game consoles and to see which ones held up the best for families.

• Great learning toys: While all toys can be helpful vehicles for supporting developmental growth, we love to spotlight notably exceptional educational Toys and STEM toys as well as ones that can support social-emotional growth, like those included in our lists of the best sensory toys, pop fidget toys, Montessori toys and autism toys.

• Gifts for babies: Please the newest members on your gift list (and their parents) with these useful baby registry items, as well as gifts for babies, gifts for baby girls and gifts for baby boys. Of course, you might want to get something for new parents to help them through the hectic newborn stage.

• Gifts for toddlers: The coolest new toys in this space pull double-duty, whether it's social-emotional learning combined with motor skills, or creative play combined with language, as you can see in our gift guides for gifts for 1-year-olds, gifts for 18-month-olds, gifts for 2-year-olds and gifts for all toddlers, as well as our stocking stuffers for toddlers.

• Gifts for preschoolers: As they begin to explore the world around them on a deeper level, help them explore with STEM sets, art kits, creative toys and toys that inspire their imaginations. Find our favorites in our gifts for 3-year-olds (including gifts for 3-year-old boys and gifts for 3-year-old girls), gifts for 4-year-olds (including gifts for 4-year-old boys and gifts for 4-year-old girls) and gifts for 5-year-olds (including gifts for 5-year-old boys and gifts for 5-year-old girls).

• Gifts for big kids: By these ages, they've developed their own interests. Help them dive deeper into the subjects that most interest them, from coding to art to cartooning to history and geography, with these gifts for 6-year-olds (including gifts for 6-year-old boys and gifts for 6-year-old girls), gifts for 7-year-olds (including gifts for 7-year-old boys and gifts for 7-year-old girls), gifts for 8-year-olds (including gifts for 8-year-old boys and gifts for 8-year-old girls), and gifts for 9-year-olds (including gifts for 9-year-old boys and gifts for 9-year-old girls). It's also fun to shop for some of our best-reviewed and top-selling stocking stuffers for kids.

• Gifts for tweens: Sure, once they get old enough for an iPad or gaming console you might be at a loss of what to get them. We have you covered with engaging picks for gifts for 10-year-olds (including gifts for 10-year-old boys and gifts for 10-year-old girls), gifts for 11-year-olds (including gifts for 11-year-old boys and gifts for 11-year-old girls), and gifts for 12-year-olds (including gifts for 12-year-old boys and gifts for 12-year-old girls), or see what's trending with boys or tween girls as a whole.

• Gifts for teens: We decode what's on the lists for this picky age group, from the hottest accessories to the most-wanted tech gifts, with gifts for 13-year-old boys, gifts for 13-year-old girls, gifts for 14-year-olds, gifts for 15-year-old boys, gifts for 16-year-olds, gifts for teen girls, gifts for teen boys and even fun stocking stuffers for teens.

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